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Astride a Pink Horse
The Cold War ended years ago, or did it? For Thurmond Giles, a decorated African American Air Force veteran found naked, dead, and dangling by his ankles inside a deactivated minuteman missile silo in desolate southeastern Wyoming, the answer is no. The labyrinthine investigation that follows his death—led by former fighter pilot Major Bernadette Cameron and ex-college baseball phenom-turned-reporter Elgin “Cozy” Coseia—reveals how the atomic era’s legacy has continued to destroy both minds and lives.
Astride a Pink Horse follows Bernadette, Cozy, and Cozy’s boss Freddie Dames match wits with a gallery of unforgettable murder suspects: a powerful, right-wing-leaning cattle rancher; a declining seventy-six-year-old WWII-era Japanese internment camp victim and her unstable math professor cousin; an idealistic lifelong nuclear arms protestor; and a civilian Air Force contractor with a twenty-year grudge against the murder victim. Do three amateur detectives stand a chance against these characters and the conspiracy that may be behind it all? Robert Greer’s trademark mix of vivid eccentrics, surprising plot twists, and political edge makes this one of his most memorable thrillers.
Astride a Pink Horse follows Bernadette, Cozy, and Cozy’s boss Freddie Dames match wits with a gallery of unforgettable murder suspects: a powerful, right-wing-leaning cattle rancher; a declining seventy-six-year-old WWII-era Japanese internment camp victim and her unstable math professor cousin; an idealistic lifelong nuclear arms protestor; and a civilian Air Force contractor with a twenty-year grudge against the murder victim. Do three amateur detectives stand a chance against these characters and the conspiracy that may be behind it all? Robert Greer’s trademark mix of vivid eccentrics, surprising plot twists, and political edge makes this one of his most memorable thrillers.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
5 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Robert Greer
26 books20 followersRobert Greer, author of the CJ Floyd mystery series, lives in Denver, where he is a practicing surgical pathologist, research scientist, and Professor of Pathology and Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He also edits the High Plains Literary Review, reviews books for National Public Radio, and raises Black Baldy cattle on his ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Series:
* C. J. Floyd
Series:
* C. J. Floyd
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 9, 2011
Professor and doctor by day, mystery writer at night, Denverite Robert Greer has an interesting new stand alone mystery for his many fans. This one stars Elgin "Cozy" Coseia, once a very promising baseball player, now an investigative reporter, and Major Bernadette Cameron, an investigator for the Office of Special Investigations for the Air Force. Starting from different angles, both are looking into the murder of a nuclear technician, which brings out protestors, which seems to lead to another murder. But there may be more than individual murders being planned in the mastermind's final scenario. Banding the two of them together in a high speed adventure among several Western states, this book is a page turner that leaves you hoping that it just might be the start of a new series.
January 12, 2012
Astride a Pink Horse
By: Robert Greer
ISBN: 978-1-58394-369-4, Pages 352, $23.95, Publication Date: March 27, 2012, Hardcover, Fiction, Published by North Atlantic Books, distributed by Random House
Many novels will gain the attention of the reader with intriguing scenarios and then the page turning begins. Robert Greer is a beloved author because that is exactly what he does in each of his books. Best known for his C. J. Floyd mystery novels he develops a trio of new characters in “Astride A Pink Horse” which his audience is sure to accept as his new series.
A naked body discovered hanging upside down inside a nuclear missile silo’s personnel access tube in Wyoming sets off the action and a remarkable chain of events. Bernadette Cameron, Elgin “Cozy” Coseia, and Frederick “Freddy” Dames are from different lifestyles, but their lives entwine due to the seriousness of this escapade. Joining forces, they break the rules, demonstrate superb analytical skills, and generally buck the establishment in their quest to find the truth of who killed a retired Air Force master sergeant and nuclear missile maintenance technician.
National security is often on the minds of our fellow citizens, especially after 9/11. When a breach of an abandoned missile site occurs, the Air Force has the responsibility to discover who did it and why? Arms reduction closed many silos throughout the country, but there remain many active ones and the intrusion into even an abandoned one is a cause for alarm because of the sensitive nature of what is there.
Robert Greer demonstrates an excellent knowledge of the workings of the Air Force, national defense, and the relationship between local law enforcement and the military. Each branch has a definition of responsibilities and clearly stepping toes over that line of demarcation is a no – no! Yet, Bernadette, Cozy, and Freddy cavalierly go over that mark! They meet secretly when told not to by higher authorities. They travel to places that are out of bounds, interview witnesses, and involve themselves in dangerous confrontations with the barest hint of authority.
Both Cozy and Freddy are newspaper reporters who are out to scoop the rest of the media on this exciting story. Their newspaper is web only and Freddy is a wealthy entrepreneur who loves to call the action his way. Cozy is a former teammate of Freddy and had an exemplary baseball career until he was injured. Freddy embarrasses the Air Force as he sensationalizes the death by relating it to a hate-crime, as the sergeant was African-American. This gets Bernadette in trouble with her superiors as they believe she may have given confidential information to Cozy and Freddy.
What makes this novel stand out from the rest of the pack is the manner in which Robert Greer encapsulates his dissatisfaction in the treatment of Japanese-Americans in World War II and the interment they suffered at Wyoming’s Heart Mountain. He touches upon the anti-nuclear protest movement, race relations, land use issues for ranchers, and how reporting has changed in the digital age.
This book is a must-read for action fans and one that is eye-opening carrying a 5 star rating.
By: Robert Greer
ISBN: 978-1-58394-369-4, Pages 352, $23.95, Publication Date: March 27, 2012, Hardcover, Fiction, Published by North Atlantic Books, distributed by Random House
Many novels will gain the attention of the reader with intriguing scenarios and then the page turning begins. Robert Greer is a beloved author because that is exactly what he does in each of his books. Best known for his C. J. Floyd mystery novels he develops a trio of new characters in “Astride A Pink Horse” which his audience is sure to accept as his new series.
A naked body discovered hanging upside down inside a nuclear missile silo’s personnel access tube in Wyoming sets off the action and a remarkable chain of events. Bernadette Cameron, Elgin “Cozy” Coseia, and Frederick “Freddy” Dames are from different lifestyles, but their lives entwine due to the seriousness of this escapade. Joining forces, they break the rules, demonstrate superb analytical skills, and generally buck the establishment in their quest to find the truth of who killed a retired Air Force master sergeant and nuclear missile maintenance technician.
National security is often on the minds of our fellow citizens, especially after 9/11. When a breach of an abandoned missile site occurs, the Air Force has the responsibility to discover who did it and why? Arms reduction closed many silos throughout the country, but there remain many active ones and the intrusion into even an abandoned one is a cause for alarm because of the sensitive nature of what is there.
Robert Greer demonstrates an excellent knowledge of the workings of the Air Force, national defense, and the relationship between local law enforcement and the military. Each branch has a definition of responsibilities and clearly stepping toes over that line of demarcation is a no – no! Yet, Bernadette, Cozy, and Freddy cavalierly go over that mark! They meet secretly when told not to by higher authorities. They travel to places that are out of bounds, interview witnesses, and involve themselves in dangerous confrontations with the barest hint of authority.
Both Cozy and Freddy are newspaper reporters who are out to scoop the rest of the media on this exciting story. Their newspaper is web only and Freddy is a wealthy entrepreneur who loves to call the action his way. Cozy is a former teammate of Freddy and had an exemplary baseball career until he was injured. Freddy embarrasses the Air Force as he sensationalizes the death by relating it to a hate-crime, as the sergeant was African-American. This gets Bernadette in trouble with her superiors as they believe she may have given confidential information to Cozy and Freddy.
What makes this novel stand out from the rest of the pack is the manner in which Robert Greer encapsulates his dissatisfaction in the treatment of Japanese-Americans in World War II and the interment they suffered at Wyoming’s Heart Mountain. He touches upon the anti-nuclear protest movement, race relations, land use issues for ranchers, and how reporting has changed in the digital age.
This book is a must-read for action fans and one that is eye-opening carrying a 5 star rating.
May 8, 2012
Astride a Pink Horse by Robert Greer is a thrilling ride steeped in the mystery of the west and its ties to the Cold War and nuclear missiles. Elgin “Cozy” Coseia and Freddie Dames are college buddies who were drafted to major league baseball teams before an accident stopped Cozy’s career very short and they went into business as journalists in Denver. A murder of a former Air Force Master Sergeant Thurmond Giles, a former nuclear-missile maintenance technician, has these boys running the bases faster than they ever did in college baseball, as they play tag with local law enforcement in Wyoming and team up with Major Bernadette Cameron of the Air Force. The back-and-forth investigation has the journalists and Cameron working closer than her superiors want her to be, but a murder and possible national security breach are at the top of all of their agendas.
Greer intricately weaves in the story of the murder with anti-nuclear protesters from the 50s and 70s, a WWII Japanese-American internment camp survivor, and a hospital equipment transporter into the story in a way that keeps readers guessing as to how they are all connected to one another and possibly the murder. Giles is far from well liked by anyone given his large ego and his womanizing, and navigating civilian and military investigations into not only the security breach at Tango-11 a decommissioned missile silo, but also the murder of Giles.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/05/a...
Greer intricately weaves in the story of the murder with anti-nuclear protesters from the 50s and 70s, a WWII Japanese-American internment camp survivor, and a hospital equipment transporter into the story in a way that keeps readers guessing as to how they are all connected to one another and possibly the murder. Giles is far from well liked by anyone given his large ego and his womanizing, and navigating civilian and military investigations into not only the security breach at Tango-11 a decommissioned missile silo, but also the murder of Giles.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/05/a...
July 30, 2017
GNab I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Robert Greer and Open Road Integrated Media in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your work with me. Originally published March 27th 2012 by North Atlantic Books.
I found this who-done-it well plotted, entertaining and at times more enticing than supper. Major characters are well defined and empathetic, The details of place and time are spot on, and I enjoyed traveling from place to place with our protagonists, all of whom I liked. I have not read Robert Greer prior to this novel, but will be looking for him in future. This is a book and a series that I will want to visit again at leisure.
Pub date Feb 7, 2017
I found this who-done-it well plotted, entertaining and at times more enticing than supper. Major characters are well defined and empathetic, The details of place and time are spot on, and I enjoyed traveling from place to place with our protagonists, all of whom I liked. I have not read Robert Greer prior to this novel, but will be looking for him in future. This is a book and a series that I will want to visit again at leisure.
Pub date Feb 7, 2017
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March 28, 2020Nuclear bombs and missiles are not in the news today like they were during World War II but they are something we still need to deal with. Strong, black main woman character.
March 21, 2017
Fun little romp
A quick, tight story about revenge served cold. It meanders a bit at the denouement but all in all an enjoyable read. Looking forward to more stories of Bernadette, Cozy, and Freddie.
A quick, tight story about revenge served cold. It meanders a bit at the denouement but all in all an enjoyable read. Looking forward to more stories of Bernadette, Cozy, and Freddie.
May 1, 2012
In Astride A Pink Horse, Robert Greer has penned a suspenseful thriller of political intrigue. When Thurmond Giles, a retired African-American Air Force veteran, is found dead dangling by his ankles inside a deactivated minuteman missile silo in southeastern Wyoming, authorities believe this is a cut-and-dry murder case. After all Thurmond is a known womanizer, and his skills as a nuclear-missile warhead expert have not been needed since the Cold War ended. Major Bernadette Cameron, one of the investigators, is frustrated when she is not permitted to thoroughly investigate the case, and knows there is more than meets the eye. Web newspaper reporter Elgin “Cozy” Coseia, the first reporter on the scene, senses this murder is headline worthy. As complex and often contradictory layers of Thurmond’s life are uncovered, Bernadette, Cozy, and Cozy’s wealthy boss, Freddy Dames, form an unlikely trio of sleuths to determine the murder mastermind.
From the moment I picked up the book, this enthralling and well-plotted tale held me spellbound to the last page. As I wondered how the themes of the government use of eminent domain, the WW II internment camps for Japanese Americans, anti-nuke protestors and right-wing landowners would all tie back to Thurmond, the author skillfully connected the dots, and kept a firm hold on the outstanding question of why the murder took place. This story stands above others in its genre for the freshness and originality of the storyline with eccentric characters, twisty subplots, wonderful sense of place, and pushes the reader to think more deeply on how past political actions can haunt the present. Clues are sprinkled liberally throughout the narrative which takes some interesting twists just when the reader thinks they have solved the case. This is Greer at his best, and hopefully we will see more of Bernadette, Cozy, and Freddy in future stories.
I recommend this book to readers of mystery thrillers. Those new to Greer’s storytelling will not be disappointed while CJ Floyd series fans will be delighted for a start of a new series.
This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO Literary Book Review
From the moment I picked up the book, this enthralling and well-plotted tale held me spellbound to the last page. As I wondered how the themes of the government use of eminent domain, the WW II internment camps for Japanese Americans, anti-nuke protestors and right-wing landowners would all tie back to Thurmond, the author skillfully connected the dots, and kept a firm hold on the outstanding question of why the murder took place. This story stands above others in its genre for the freshness and originality of the storyline with eccentric characters, twisty subplots, wonderful sense of place, and pushes the reader to think more deeply on how past political actions can haunt the present. Clues are sprinkled liberally throughout the narrative which takes some interesting twists just when the reader thinks they have solved the case. This is Greer at his best, and hopefully we will see more of Bernadette, Cozy, and Freddy in future stories.
I recommend this book to readers of mystery thrillers. Those new to Greer’s storytelling will not be disappointed while CJ Floyd series fans will be delighted for a start of a new series.
This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO Literary Book Review
February 23, 2012
I'm not fond of books that are filled with politics, military or history. I picked this book up, hoping at the very best for a story that I could force myself to read without hating too much. I love mysteries, but expected the vast amounts of politics, military strategy and history to leave me with a bitter taste in my mouth. I was wrong. I may have actually even learned something! Although all three are a major theme in the book, none of them overshadows the other or the story.
The characters are entertaining as well as intriguing. Most of them are so far-fetched that you get a sense they can't possibly be fiction. Although there were only a few moments of laughter for me, I was completely caught up in trying to figure out, not only who killed Giles, but also what on earth was going to happen next.
Just when you think you've finished the book, you still have a few chapters left. It takes a little while to actually tie everything up with a neat little ribbon, but I'm thankful for those last few chapters. It leads us into the possibility of a series starring Cameron and Cozy. That's a series I don't want to miss!
The characters are entertaining as well as intriguing. Most of them are so far-fetched that you get a sense they can't possibly be fiction. Although there were only a few moments of laughter for me, I was completely caught up in trying to figure out, not only who killed Giles, but also what on earth was going to happen next.
Just when you think you've finished the book, you still have a few chapters left. It takes a little while to actually tie everything up with a neat little ribbon, but I'm thankful for those last few chapters. It leads us into the possibility of a series starring Cameron and Cozy. That's a series I don't want to miss!
June 24, 2013
This is the first novel that I have read by Robert Greer. I picked it from a bunch at the library intially intrigued by the title. The title does not have much to do with the novel and yet the origin of this is explained partway through. The story begins with the discovery of the body of an air force veteran found hanging naked inside a deactivated missile silo in Wyoming.The search for his killer is spearheaded by Major Bernadette Cameron and two guys who work for an online news service, Elgin "Cozy" Coseia and his friend and boss Freddie Dames. There is an array of murder suspects, most associated with the peacenik protests of the 1960s when the now deactivated silos were being constructed. Or with a grudge against the victim Thurmond Giles due to his womanizing ways. Central characters are a 76-year-old former Japanese internment camp victim and her unstable math professor cousin.
I see that Greer is the author of nine C J Floyd mysteries in addition to this standalone novel. This gives new ground to explore.
I see that Greer is the author of nine C J Floyd mysteries in addition to this standalone novel. This gives new ground to explore.
October 11, 2012
I wanted to read something by this Denver author. An Air Force veteran is found in a former missile silo in SE Wyoming. Local law enforcement, an ezine writer and a female AF Major investigate the web of possibilities in tracking those responsible. I liked the Bernadette Cameron and Elgin "Cozy" Coseia characters.
The writing seemed a bit wordy at times, I think could have been stronger with a little tighter writing/editing.
The writing seemed a bit wordy at times, I think could have been stronger with a little tighter writing/editing.
October 21, 2018
A good mystery - a page-turner in some respects - with several misdirections. An Air Force Major investigating a break in at a closed missile site, a sheriff investigating the murder at the site, and a tech-illiterate conspiracy theory web site reporter sticking his nose into both make an interesting combination. The reason for the title was disgustingly real and something I wish I didn't know, but it was at the root of one of the character's issues.
October 19, 2014
This is another good one from Greer with a Denver setting. Cj Floyd the antique dealing bail bondsman/bounty hunter, reminds me a bit of Cliff Janeway, Robert Dunning's boxer turned book dealer. I really like all the local place names. The thriller comes down to the finish with a vengeance. If you like the good, exciting stuff, you'll want to read through this one.
October 4, 2012
I really wanted to like this book,but struggled to finish it. The books strength is the post atom bomb Hiroshima imagery that lends itself to the name, but the weakness is the way the book's central mystery is resolved.
May 1, 2012
A GREAT THRILL RIDE!! MURDER, INTRIGUE AND A THRILL A MINUTE!! A MUST READ.
February 14, 2014
Okay story but the characters are flat.
January 22, 2015
Very unusual, interesting and well crafted mystery. Enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews